A comprehensive framework for the activation, management, and evaluation of Co-production in the public sector

Co-production analyses the practices in which state or firms and lay actors work together in any phase of the production cycle. In the public sector, citizens are not seen as mere recipients of services but as co-producers at different stages. Scholarly interest in co-production has grown steadily in the past years. However, the research has yet to integrate the many co-production concepts into a distinctive theoretical comprehensive framework able to strengthen the understanding of the interrelated dynamics at play. The article conducts a systematic in-depth qualitative review of the co-production literature for the public sector. The results highlight the main components into four pillars of a comprehensive theoretical framework to guide scholars and practitioners in the activation and management of co-production as well as in the evaluation of its outcomes. The article concludes by formulating a future research agenda for co-production in the public sector.